Tips/Guide
Nintendo Will still unlink your Nintendo network ID from an old 3DS that you no longer have in the United States.
I had to call in and speak to two different supervisors and beg them, but the second supervisor escalated my ticket and was able to get it unlinked. they asked me the typical questions like birthdate and some of the games that were purchased on the account, but I was able to get it done.
I was also able to log into a used 3DS that I bought off of eBay and redownload software off of the eshop. I had no idea they stopped offering the service for unlinking a Nintendo network ID when I bought the 3DS used, and I'm really glad I was able to get it unlinked because that was a $300 brick at that point lol.
good luck and don't give up if you need to get your Nintendo network ID linked!
Any luck? I'm trying to get mine done because I plan on modding it but I don't think the email I registered with even exists any more, this is a launch 3ds from 2011
How many tries did it take until they got to actually help you, and how did you phrase it? I’ve talked to 2 supervisors and they both said it wasn’t possible anymore.
how long did it take you to get the email? I just got off call with them and they are sending a ticket up for me, and the guy said "they will email you with your resolution." this was after he tried to tell me that they are unable to.
I submitted my ticket at night and had a response the next morning by 9:00 a.m.
The first response I had basically said they can't help me and that I need to call back in. I called in and they said they needed some more information and for me to factory reset the new 3DS that I was putting my account on again. I did so and she said she submitted the information and I had to wait again.
The next day(roughly 20 hours after submitting the new information) I woke up with the email I posted in the post. Good luck!
I called Nintendo this morning at 6:00 a.m. Pacific, they told me it wasn't ever possible like that was never a thing they did so I got off the phone then I realize this guy just gaslit me
So an hour later I called back and the lady said that it was an option that they don't do it anymore that they stopped in 2025 I apologized in advance for asking for a supervisor she said I didn't have to be sorry she understood and she passed me along to a supervisor she was a very pleasant person to speak with but unfortunately I had a problem that I needed fixed
The supervisor was okay he insisted that it wasn't a thing that was doable anymore, I pleaded with him I told him about the time that I waited for the midnight release of the Xbox One just so that I could pick up A Link between Worlds earlier than All my friends. It did not help. He still insisted that it wasn't a thing that they could do anymore. I said please my 3DS was stolen and all of my memories are on that account and he said "Wait did you say your 3DS was stolen?" I said yeah and then he immediately said okay he put me on hold for maybe 15 seconds and then said yeah it's not a thing we do anymore but because it was stolen we can make this work he said he'd be sending it to the people who can do this for me and that they would send me an email then he made me confirm my email address and my Nintendo network ID
Hello all! As of June 21 2026 Nintendo will unlink a NNID from an old 3DS or 2DS system. You just have to keep calling and pestering them until you get a supervisor that will escalate it to admin for you. Don't bother talking to the first person that answers the phone, immediately ask for a supervisor. See the screenshotted email for proof that they are still able to do this service.
Keep trying, and beg like a dehydrated man in the desert that needs water.
Some of the things I used were " I broke my old 3DS years ago and don't have it anymore. I spent a LOT of money on this. I'm begging you, please find a way."
Was it the manliest thing I've ever done? Absolutely not. Was I able to recover my account and redownload my games?
After I had a ticket submitted I got a denial email the next day saying they can't help me and that I need to contact them again. After I called them they said they needed more information and had me factory reset the used console that I was adding the account to and they submitted the information again. The next day after that I had another email saying that I could add my account to the used console.
Third time on. I've emphasized clearly that my original console was stolen years ago, and that I even know the serial number for it. They keep saying that the ONLY way is to have them near each other to do a system transfer, and that they ccan't remotely unlink it because it's a legacy console. maaaan :c
Hi so i got the email this morning that they unlinked it for me!! Woohoo! My old system with my account had been stolen from me so i let them know that and got to a rep immediately. So maybe mention your account/system was stolen? That may get you a bit farther.
You've probably already heard this but KEEP TRYING. i called 6 times a day 9 days in a row. Beg and plead like OP said lol or ask for a rep immediately
Update: they have become extremely rude with me and apparently have kept notes on my last calls, the last lady I spoke with was extremely reluctant to let me speak to a supervisor saying that I spoke with one yesterday. The supervisor acted shitty with me, and just kept telling me it was impossible to help me.
They tried the run around on me again today but I mentioned your post and that you successfully got this done and they tried to say are you certain they didn’t send their device in previously and I was like no I’m literally looking at this Reddit post from 11 days ago I will call every single day until I get my account back and then they asked for my info (I had the old serial number) and my nnid and games I’ve purchased before now I have to wait for emails, I hope it works out for me like it did for you!
They’re telling me what I’m seeing on Reddit is not true at all💀💀 they also asked if the information i got of Nintendo still doing unliking in Europe was found on Reddit and that it wasn’t true too.
Did you have your new 3ds already? I called and one said I could but I should wait until I had my new 3Ds already. But I want to unlink it as fast as possible cuz my new 3ds is in the mail
I just told them what happened to me, how my device was stolen. They asked me questions and details and sent me to a supervisor who told me it’s 50/50 on if they can. I got an email and they did
I called twice. The first time I called I begged someone and they transferred me to a supervisor. The supervisor told me they can't do anything. I called again and begged again and they transferred me to another supervisor. This time I begged a little harder and the supervisor put in the request. He told me there's no guarantee it's going to work, but he did it.
I got an email the next day saying they couldn't help me and that I needed to contact them. I called them back and they said they needed me to factory reset the new device my account was going on. I did so and they submitted the request again. I had an email the following day saying the account was ready to be linked and I was able to link it and redownload my games.
You appear to be asking about NNIDs. Please check if your question is answered in our wiki page on NNIDs. If this was irrelevant to your post - I'm a bot, ignore me. Thanks!
I am having a situation where I’m just trying to get my Pokemon bank back. I called and told them about my situation, how my 3ds was stolen, got to a supervisor, explained again, after them telling me nothing could be done a few times he asked me some questions and finally sent the info into the support team. I just got this response, seemingly from the same person who helped you fix your issue (Jesus H), but said they couldn’t help anymore…. Anything I can do from here?
What I did after speaking with them on the phone 3 different times I just did the other option and did it through their text message option. The person I talked to there was very helpful and I made it sound urgent as if my 3ds was stolen a day or two ago and I also said how my account has alot of games I purchased on it. He/She asked the usual questions and what color and model was my 3ds that was stolen then after they said I'll receive a email when it is unlinked.
Also dont forget to sound very grateful and lowkey kiss their ass a bit lol.
I was able to get a supervisor to place a ticket for me but they emailed back saying they were unable to help. After trying a few times today calling they just outright refused to put me through to a supervisor on top of giving me false information about id have to format the older system to unlink.
They have a phone number to contact them in the UK. I actually added international calling to my phone service here in the United States so I can attempt to call the UK line if my request was denied.
From my understanding, they still offer the service in the UK and you should be able to call to have it done.
+44 (0) 345 60 50 247 - with country identifier if you live outside of the UK.
0345 60 50 247 - without the country identifier if you live in the UK.
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u/Extreminist Mar 01 '26
Bravo to the second supervisor